HIGH SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER: TCA shuts out Sacred Heart in Non-Public B South semis

HAMILTON — Peter Hall has spent his sophomore season with the Trenton Catholic Academy boys soccer team becoming a better midfielder.

Coming off a fine freshman campaign, Hall, TCA’s captain, could have become a big goal scorer, yet decided his team could use his distribution talents even more.

Paired with newcomer 5-foot-1 Wesley Reyes, the 5-3 Hall has made the Iron Mikes’ diminutive but dynamite midfield doubly dangerous to opponents.

Hall showed just how so yesterday with a slick endline move which drew Sacred Heart’s defense and cleared a path for senior midfield/forward Lendee Henry to score the game’s first goal 47 minutes in and spur the top-seeded Iron Mikes on to a 3-0 win over the Lions in the NJSIAA Non-Public B South semifinals.

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With the victory, Trenton Catholic Academy (19-2-1) returns to the B South final for a third consecutive year. Because of the lingering after-effects of Superstorm Sandy, the Iron Mikes get to host that game this year at 2 p.m. Monday against the winner of today’s 2 p.m. showdown between sixth-seeded Wildwood Catholic and second-seeded Gill St. Bernard’s. Gill (17-2-1) defeated the Iron Mikes, 3-2 in double overtime, in last year’s sectional final.

“As a freshman last year, it was my first time in the sectional final,” Hall said. “Since I’ve already been there, I want to get back there again and do better this year.”

That was a large part of the reason Hall decided it was better for his team if he concentrated on his distribution instead of trying to become a big goal scorer like graduated school leader Emmanuel Temeh.

“I focused more on passing the ball than trying to get goals because I’m playing in the midfield,” Hall said. “I’m trying to work on more of distributing the ball outside and letting my forwards score.”

If you are asking yourself “Why?” Hall had the perfect answer.

“If there’s no assist, there’s no goal,” he said.

His hard work along the endline opened a slot for Henry, who banged Hall’s pass past Sacred Heart goalkeeper Dom Patitucci 7:30 into the second half of a scoreless game.

“After the first goal, we knew it (a win) was coming,” said TCA assistant coach Dennis Kinnevy, who has helped direct the Iron Mikes back to the top of the heap along with returning assistant Gary Cittoli and first-year man Gallo Carpio. “Everyone wants to score goals, but the key for this team is defense. It has to hold up.”

With sophomore John Riggs in net for a second straight tournament shutout, Trenton Catholic Academy’s backline held up its end of the bargain by limiting the Lions to three shots.

Meanwhile, the Iron Mikes kept control of the middle of the field and fought off occasional surges by Sacred Heart senior Drew Mesiano until Charles Wheaton broke free for the home team’s second score off a clear by Wesley Reyes and a 40-yard scamper by the talented senior striker.

Henry followed Hall’s passing lead and produced one more insurance tally when he fed Lorenzo Tucker for the game’s final score with 10 minutes left to send TCA back to where it wants to be, with hopes that, this time, it can go farther.